So, from the last time you heard about me and John he's been ridden a further I think 4 times?
So on the 13/05/14, Mum came to see John being ridden for the first time, he was a lot more settled than the previous ride which was his first ride at home and he clearly showed that he had settled absolutely perfectly, I jumped straight on and didn't lunge, and ended up doing walk and trot on both reins and a canter on one rein! He was foot perfect, I could not have faulted him in anyway. He still felt a little rushy in his canter as he seemed to look at the viewing but I didn't expect anything fancy for a second ride at home and a first canter at home, and my first canter on him! (I don't think I can say much more, he was literally just perfect!)
Then on the Wednesday (14/05/14) the team came to see Watson's cheeky little face! He literally just felt even better than the day before, we did all paces on both reins and even did a little trotting pole which John really seemed to enjoy through jumping it and then cantering off at full speed, silly horse bless him, it was hilarious I must admit! Emma then got on, he was such a polite little gentlemen considering it was his third ride at home and he just let someone else get on and ride him around! He's not a hard horse to ride, but he is a bit odd I must admit so Emma rode him beautifully:) After that, Beth got on and really put him through his paces doing a lot more canter work, safe to say John was very sweaty afterwards!! But again, he really didn't mind, considering he'd had three people jump on him and just do whatever, he listened so well and really showed how much of a well mannered horse he really is, he makes me so proud. I then jumped back on to have a bit of a bareback cool down and he was just, I can't sing his praises enough, he listened beautifully and then we just spent some time in the school just chilling with him. He really is the horse I've been looking for, for a long time and he will be staying for a long time too.
Thursday (15/05/14) Mum came up again! John really wasn't keen on the idea of schooling again but he wasn't getting off that easily! (soz mate you're fat so) He tried his hardest, which entailed pretty much nothing out of the ordinary, to not be tacked up (so he basically just put his head up so he didn't have to have his bridle on which by the way, didn't work) but once we were in the school and I had got on, he was again, absolutely perfect. His canter work has improved so much already and his balance was a lot better that day. He took everything in his stride as per usual. However, he did try to express himself in the only way he could think of when I asked him to keep cantering, which was when I gave him a small squeeze with my heels, he lifted his back end off the floor so little that it just felt like a bouncy stride of canter, it was simply hilarious!! Bless him, he really does try to be naughty but he knows that it's bad so doesn't, he's so cute! But other than that, I have nothing to comment on about that day, he was again, a lovely little lad to ride :)
I decided on Friday he needed a change of scenery after his face before schooling the day before, so I managed to get one of my lovely friends on the yard to come on a hack with me, she's been there a while so she knows her way and so showed me a lovely route, and we had a wonderful time! She owns a beautiful little haflinger called Tilly and a lovely dutch warmblood named Theo, you'll probably hear about them a bit more in the future so there you go! Anyway, John decided after around 5 - 10 minutes he was too good to be behind so over took Tammy and Tilly and went in front for most of it, until we came to a road where there was no way he was going in front lol. We went for a little trot up a hill at one point and just put in to perspective how unfit my horse is, Tilly has been ridden around once in nearly three weeks before this hack and John had been ridden every day of this week, we got to the top of this hill and John was sweating, and very out of breath indeed, tut tut Johnathon, you need to get fitter mate! Anyway, I couldn't again have faulted him, for his first time out, he took everything in his stride, I had buckled end for most of it and I even had buckle end of my reins with John leading the way home in open fields. I was one hell of a proud mother. He makes me so happy, such an awesome little horse, I genuinely can't praise him enough.
So that brings us to yesterday which was Saturday! (17/05/14) Emma came up and we had a little play with him bareback so he could have a bit of a break from new and tiring things and just have some fun! I had a little walk and trot on him and it's safe to say I need to learn how to ride bareback basically, but in my defence, I lost my confidence bareback massively early last year in the snow which we won't really go into as I don't like thinking about it, we'll just say me and Mol were very lucky that day. But even with my crappy riding, John was an angel he put up with me amazingly and I think he enjoyed the break from normal work! Emma then jumped on and had a little walk and trot and made him go so much better than I did, he looked after her so well, he was trotting so slow I genuinely didn't know if he was trotting or walking lol, turns out Emma was just asking for a steady trot, it was all okay. Then we gave him a bath because his socks for looking a lot more orange than white and needed sorting as they were driving me mad! He was so good bless him, he had a bit of a fidgit but I was so pleased with him because frankly he could have been a lot worse and he didn't try to run off etc. Safe to say when Emma had finished with him, he was looking very gorgeous indeed and clearly he already knew that so it didn't help his ego at all but oh well, he looks nice so;) We then turned him out for the night after a lovely day :)
And today we're off on a hack with some other women from the yard so that'll be good if John realizes he can't push his way to the front!!
Here's some pictures, enjoy!
Love,
Lottie & John x
why you down there mum??
i was buckle end at this point, js
he had way too much fun with this
he's simply adorable.
we're soaring, flying...
gorgeous boy!
this is definitely going up in my room at some point.
it was hot okay?
he's far too gorgeous for his own good.
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